Ryan Rush

Danielle Ramsay
English 101TR
November 4, 2013
Essay 3 Rough Draft
According to a recent article in USA Today, Nanci Hellmich states that 34.9% of adults
in America are obese. Thats over a third of all adults in the U.S. that are 35 or more pounds
over a healthy weight that will face crippling effects, like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. The obesity epidemic continues to plague the American waistline and health
consciousness since it was discovered in the early 90s (Peretti).
Are the American people being misled by this societal issue? The evidence points
towards this conclusion. The globally accepted measure for obesity is inaccurate, labeling this
issue as an epidemic creates an increase in spending, and a dash of ignorance towards a proper
diet, have led the American people down the path of a continuous cycle.
Each cycle has a beginning, and here, Americans need to learn that they are obese. The
standard measure that doctors use is B.M.I. or Body Mass Index. A number between 1 and 100
is generated by dividing weight by the square of height (multiplied by 703 to convert it from
metric) then compared to a range where 18.5 to 24.9 is ideal and 30 or more is obese. The
formula was developed by a Belgian statistician, Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, in the
nineteenth century as a way to measure obesity rates in Belgium so the government could
allocate resources (Devlin).
Moving past the obvious reasoning, that a 200 year old formula could be outdated, or that
a statistician, not a physician, determined who was obese, the formula fails to take into account
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some other important factors. Muscle weighs more than fat. This means that an Olympic
sprinter can be obese, even though, he/she has to be in peak physical condition to compete
(Nordqvist). Age is not factored in either. As adults age, they lose bone and muscles mass.
That could mean there is a higher percentage of fat tissue in their bodies, if they maintain a
healthy weight. And then there is ethnicity. Asians have been shown that they can suffer health
problems at a lower B.M.I. than Caucasians (Wilson). The scale in which B.M.I. is compared to
has also been changed. In 1998, the ranges for overweight were changed to meet a global
standard (from 27.8 to 25) (Wilson).
If ethnicity is not a factor in determining B.M.I., how can it be globally accepted? Well,
B.M.I. is inexpensive and simple to use. All a doctor would need to do is compare the patients
data to a chart. Even non-doctors can use this method. Other methods that produce more
accurate measures are too costly to produce and require more time (Wilson).
Why are Americans seeking the help of this inaccurate scale in the first place? Major
media outlets have painted a picture about this epidemic that looks very grim. Even with the
number of Americans becoming obese leveling off, after 30 years of growth, Hellmichs article
still claims it to be an epidemic. She even goes as far as saying that it will have a huge toll on
health. The solution, lose 10 pounds if you are concerned (Hellmich).
But how are Americans supposed to lose 10 pounds and how long do they have to do it
in? This is where fad diets, pharmaceuticals, and specialty diet foods come into play. By filling
Americans with fear, in this case, the risk of diabetes and heart disease leading to an eventual
premature death, the media can influence their decision making process and coax them into
purchasing one of those easy ways of losing weight.
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The problem, they are not a long term solution to the obesity problem. 84% of the
participants in Weight Watchers struggle to keep the weight off once they lose it (Peretti). The
reason why these methods work so well is that they change the persons lifestyle for a brief
period time. But they fail when the person is expected to and eventually returns to their old
habits.
The weight-loss industry makes billions of dollars from those that struggle to keep the
weight off. A portion of that revenue is then funneled into advertising. And a cycle is developed
where the American people are none-the-wiser and these business pockets burst at the seams.
All the blame cant fall upon those businesses for following a business model to
maximize profit. The American government has a small part to play in this problem as well.
According to law, all food sold in the U.S. must have a label. This label will list the nutritional
values of the food and ingredients that go into making the food. The FDA is the governing
agency that ensures that all domestic and foreign foods in the US adhere to this law.
As companion to the labels, the USDA developed a food pyramid that gives a
recommendation for a healthy and balanced diet. It is taught in health classes across the nation,
to young Americans. If they follow the recommendations, they should not face obesity as well
as various other nutritional problems.
Though the government is attempting to help show what healthy eating is, manufacturers
of these foods have learned to market their foods with certain phrases or by making the labels
confusing to read. Following the pyramid, it is recommended to have 2 cups of vegetables a
day if you are a women between the ages of 19 to 30 (Choose). If the food is marketed with the
phrasing, Uses 1 Daily Serving of Vegetables, people tend to avoid the confusing label on the
back that mentions the many preservatives it contains or other materials used in the process of
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making that food. The only connection that was made was that they were following the
recommended diet plan.
Even presented with the knowledge that foods are bad for them, people still tend to
purchase those items because they prefer the taste of them (Lee).
This is statement is the key to understanding why the obesity epidemic is misleading.
Society is looking for a cure for everyones obesity problem, but the problem of obesity is in
control of the individual. The individual chooses to eat too much, live a sedentary life, or ignore
the nutritional labels on foods.
Society doesnt need to sit back and watch, however. We can choose to accept these
people for their choice. Its not a disease to live obese and there are some real health risks
associated with being such, but these are people in the end. They can be hurt like you can be. If
and when they are ready to lose the weight, encourage them, support them, and learn with them
because this is what they truly need to make it a lifetime decision to fight obesity.